"Once upon a time, I thought faeries lived only in books, old folktales, and the past. That was before they burst upon my life as vibrant, luminous beings, permeating my art and my everyday existence, causing glorious havoc...." In the long-awaited sequel to the international bestseller Faeries, artist Brian Froud rescues pixies, gnomes, and other faeries from the isolation of the nursery and the distance of history, bringing them into the present day with vitality and imagination. In this richly imagined new book, Brian reveals the secrets he has learned from the faeries -- what their noses and shoes look like, what mischief and what gentle assistance they can give, what their souls and their dreams are like. As it turns out, faeries aren't all sweetness and light. In addition to such good faeries as Dream Weavers and Faery Godmothers, Brian introduces us to a host of less well behaved creatures -- traditional bad faeries like Morgana le Fay, but also the Soul Shrinker and the Gloominous Doom. The faery kingdom, we find, is as subject to good and evil as the human realm. Brilliantly documenting both the dark and the light, Good Faeries/Bad Faeries presents a world of enchantment and magic that deeply compels the imagination. Why are large, illustrated works offhandedly relegated to gather dust on the corner of your coffee table? Sure, you will want to put Good-Faeries/Bad Faeries in an obvious place, somewhere your friends will see it and pick it up, but it's far more than mere decoration. Froud's illustrations have delighted readers since his first book, Faeries , introduced us to the little people of folklore. Good Faeries/Bad Faeries is a doorway to the faery realm of the 20th century, where you'll meet delightful characters like Quempel, who dances to celebrate when something is done well; or the Buttered Toast Faery, who decides which side of a dropped piece of toast will hit the floor--faeries who will call you back so often that Good Faeries/Bad Faeries won't have a chance to gather dust. --Brian Patterson YA-Froud's collection of fanciful sketches encompasses both the benevolent and the malevolent species of the tribe Faeries. The structure of the book is reversible with the jacket proclaiming "Good Faeries," matched on the flip side with the title "Bad Faeries." An introduction to each section covers Faery Blights, Faery Defects, Glamour, and Music, and offers advice to humans on protection against the meddling of the Bad Faeries. There are paragraphs on naming, classification, and a further delineation of earth, water, fire, and air Faeries. This is followed by an exposition on Faery physiognomy-their wings, eyes, ears, heads, and size. Faery communication and healing are also discussed. The illustrations are the heart of the book, whether done in black and white, sepia, or full color. They are vivid, full of vitality, and wonderfully varied. With unnumbered pages, this is primarily a sketchbook for readers to leaf through and marvel at the creative bent that depicts the countenances of: "The Buttered Toast Faery," "The Wrong Decision Faery," and the "Pot Pixie." While not as glamorously elegant as their counterparts, the Bad Faeries are indeed beautiful in their own right. Handsomely jacketed, this is a whimsical, charming, artfully crafted book. Frances Reiher, Fairfax County Public Library, VA Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. Brian Froud is an artist and author who has created such bestselling books as Good Faeries/Bad Faeries, Lady Cottington’s Pressed Faery Book, and Faeries. The conceptual designer for Jim Henson’s films, The Dark Crystal and Labyrinth, he lives in Devon, England. Introduction from Bad Faeries Although people nowadays tend to think of faeries as gentle little sprites, anyone who has encountered faeries knows they can be tricksy, capricious, even dangerous. Our ancestors certainly knew this. Folklore is filled with cautionary tales about the perils of faery encounters, and in centuries past there were many places where people did not dare to go a-hunting for fear of little men. The idea that the world is full of spirit beings both bad and good is one we find in the oldest myths and tales from cultures the world over. In ancient Greece, the Neoplatonist Porphyry (c. 232-c. 305 A.D.) wrote that the air was inhabited by good and bad spirits with fluid bodies of no fixed shape, creatures who change their form at will. These were certainly faeries. Porphyry explained that the bad spirits were composed of turbulent malignity and created disruptions whenever humans failed to address them with respect. The Romans acknowledged the presence of faery spirits called the Lares, who, when venerated properly at the hearth (the heart) of the household, protected the home and family. The Lares were ruled over by their mother, Larunda, an earth goddess and faery queen. The Roman bogeymen were the Lemures, dark spirits of the night. They had all the